


Chrashley Collection

by mimimadrox



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-06
Updated: 2015-12-27
Packaged: 2018-05-05 03:47:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5359949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mimimadrox/pseuds/mimimadrox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of my Chrashley one-shots.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Collection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Imagine that for some reason or another, person A doesn’t get to see B smile very often (whether it’s because they live apart, or B just isn’t usually a smiling person). A decides to start “collecting” B’s smiles by kissing them when they do.  
> Bonus: A doesn’t tell them before doing it the first time. (via otpprompts.tumblr.com)
> 
> Takes place a few months after the "Everyone lives" ending.

Ever since the incident on the mountain, Chris wasn’t the same. None of the seven friends who survived that night were the same.

After they were rescued and released to try reliving their normal lives, Emily dropped contact with all of them and disappeared. Matt tried to check up on everyone when he could. Sam denied it ever happened and refused any help when it was offered. Jessica dropped out of college and refused to leave her home; Mike began spending most of his time taking care of her. And no one knew what had happened to Josh; they all assumed he was dead. They didn’t even want to think about the alternative.

Chris and Ashley had grown closer from the event. They were now an official couple; Ashley even asked Chris to move in with her–and he did, of course.

But ever since the incident, Chris had become distant and quiet. He didn’t smile as often anymore and hardly made any jokes; he definitely didn’t pull any more pranks. He would have nightmares every night of Wendigos, the stranger, and Josh. The ones of Josh were the worst: he would accuse him of betrayal, of leaving him for dead, of having _wanted_ him dead.

Chris began to take therapy and was prescribed his own medication. And while the medicine was helping, things were still rough. Sometimes, it was all just a bit too much. And nothing could stop the nightmares.

Ashley did what she could for him, but it was hard for her, too. She had nightmares of her own–nightmares filled with saws, Hannah, and a masked man in overalls who, when he took off his mask, revealed the face of a Wendigo instead of Josh.

Ashley missed Chris’s smiles. She missed his old self, the goofy boy who told stupid jokes that always made her laugh. And there were certain times, more than there were before now, where she really needed that. Really needed _him_.

So, she decided to start a new habit: Whenever he would smile, she would kiss him. He didn’t notice this right away, but eventually, he started to catch on.

One night, the two were cuddled beneath a blanket on the sofa watching a comedy movie, Ashley resting her head on Chris’s shoulder, her eyelids drooping shut as she was began to drift off. It had been a long day and she was exhausted.

She was nearly asleep when Chris suddenly barked out a laugh at something that happened on-screen, startling her. When she looked up at him, he was grinning, his eyes bright; he looked so much like his old self, that Ashley couldn’t help but smile, too. It made her heart feel warm to see him look like that again.

She reached up and took his face in her hands, turning him towards her before pressing her lips against his. When they pulled away, he was staring at her with a confused expression. “Why do you do that?”

“What, kiss you?” She teased.

“Yeah.”

Hurt flashed across her features and Chris hurried to clarify, “I, I mean, why do you kiss me when I smile? You’ve been doing it for, like, the past month.” He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away awkwardly.

Ashley’s voice was small as she asked, “Does it bother you?”

“No, no!” Chris whirled his head around to look at her again. “I love to kiss you…” He trailed off, mumbling the last part as his cheeks turned pink. “I, I just…ah, I just wondered why you do it _every_ time I…well, every time I smile.”

Ashley giggled at him. He looked at her, smiling uncertainly. “What?”

“Nothing.” She giggled again, then leaned up to kiss his smiling lips.

“Like that. What was that for?” Chris asked after they parted.

Ashley blushed a bit as she answered, “I’m collecting.”

“Collecting?”

Ashley nodded and looked down at her lap, twisting the emerald ring on her finger as she spoke, “Ever since…you know,” Chris didn’t say anything, so she continued. “You don’t smile as often anymore and…I miss it. I miss _you_. So, I decided that since your smiles are so rare now, I’d start a collection.”

“And you…‘collect’ them…by kissing me?” Chris couldn’t help grinning down at his lap; it was such an adorable idea. It made him feel embarrassed–in a good way.

Ashley nodded, the flush of pink in her cheeks reaching to the tips of her ears.

When Chris didn’t say anything for awhile, she looked up at him from beneath her lashes to see him smiling awkwardly at her, unsure of what to say, his face having turned a deep shade of red. “Ashley, that’s…”

 _If his face gets any redder,_ She thought, _I’m going to start calling him Mr. Tomato Head._

She kissed him. “…another to add to my collection.” They smiled, pressed another soft kiss to each other’s lips, and turned the movie off. Chris wrapped Ashley up in the blanket, cradled her against his chest, and carried her off to bed.

They cuddled and talked and whenever Chris would smile, Ashley would kiss him again. They eventually fell asleep, still wrapped tightly in each other’s arms; and for the first time since the lodge incident, neither one of them had a nightmare.


	2. We Never Had a Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Imagine person A dying horribly in front of person B. Then, as person A dies, person B holds them tightly whilst crying and whispering, “I haven’t even had the chance to tell you that I love you.” (via otpprompts.tumblr.com)

Josh was gone. The old man, dead. The only thing left to do was run–get back to the lodge, to safety, to Ashley. He needed to protect Ashley.

Clutching the shotgun, Chris ran, dodging a fallen tree branch on the way and stopping a few times to shoot the thing–the Wendigo–, to slow it down.

He was nearly there. The lodge was coming into view; he jumped from a small ledge, landing on the ground hard and possibly spraining his ankle. Pain radiated up his leg as he struggled to get back up. He managed to limp a few feet forward before the Wendigo appeared in front of him again, leaping for him with its stick-thin arms spread, claws reaching. He aimed the shotgun at its chest and knocked it away with the blast.

He limped forward as fast as he could, the distance between him and the lodge seeming to grow larger with each step instead of smaller. It was starting to feel like he would never make it.

He was almost there though, just a good twenty feet away or so, when the Wendigo reappeared and pounced. Just as Chris was about to shoot it for, hopefully, the last time, he spotted the explosive barrels in the background and turned the gun to aim for them instead.

But he was too slow. The Wendigo tackled him to the ground and grabbed a fistful of his blonde hair in one claw, while stabbing through his neck with the other. It tore his head off of his body and tossed it to the side, his glasses flying off and landing a few inches away, the glass cracked and broken.

He was so close.

* * *

Ashley started towards the door, hand outstretched to unlock it. She thought she’d seen… “Chris!”

His disembodied head was thrown towards the lodge, landing right in front of the door, his eyes open–staring at her, but not really seeing her. Not anymore.

“No! Stop…” Ashley sank to her knees, tears cascading down her cheeks, eyes fixated on the head of the boy who’d done whatever he had to make sure she lived. The boy who, not long ago, she had finally gathered up the courage to kiss for the first time. “No…” She sobbed.

She raised her hand and pressed it against the door, squinting through her tears into Chris’s lifeless eyes. “Oh, Chris…” She whispered, “I haven’t even had the chance to tell you…that I…”

_It’s just not fair!_

Her hand clenched into a fist against the glass. She looked down at her lap, squeezed her eyes shut tight, and took a deep, shaky breath before forcing herself to look back into his eyes.

“I love you…” Her voice broke on the second word.

Then Mike was there, hands on his head in disbelief as he stared at Chris’s remains. “Oh my… Oh Jesus Christ… Oh my…”

“Chris…” It hurt to even say his name.

Mike kneeled down next to her, taking her arm. “Are you okay?”

Although her heart and mind both screamed, “No”, her body nodded a weak “Yes”.

He pulled her to her feet. “Okay, okay let’s go, let’s go.” He started leading her away from the door. Away from Chris. “Let’s get down to the basement.”

Ashley stumbled along behind him and he stopped, turning towards her. “Hey! Stay with me.” He started pulling her towards the basement again. “Stay with me, Ash.”

The farther they got from Chris–or what was left of him–, the more Ashley felt her heart break.

* * *

Later, in an interview room, she would tell the police, “I can’t believe Chris’s gone… He was my best friend and…maybe I–” She would pause, her eyes cast down, shaking her head slightly. Then she’d look back up at the police and say,

_“We never had a chance.”_


	3. Breakfast in Bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Imagine it’s Person B’s birthday, so Person A wakes up extra early to bring them breakfast in bed. Turns out, Person A has a special skill for burning and ruining any meal they try to create. Cue Person A running into their room yelling, “FIRE” while Person B runs to action and assures Person A that they would rather have cereal anyway. (via otpprompts.tumblr.com)

Ashley was awoken by her cell phone vibrating beneath her pillow. She quickly pulled it out and stopped the alarm. The time read 6:00 am. Perfect.

She slowly climbed out of bed and crept out of the room, being careful not to wake up Chris. Stifling a yawn, she walked down the hall and made her way through the living room and into the kitchen.

She switched on the light and walked over to the fridge. Since she and Chris had class at eight, six seemed like the perfect time to get up and start on his surprise, especially if she ended up messing something up and had to fix it.

The surprise was breakfast in bed because it was his birthday and she wanted him to have a great start to his special day. She poured a tall glass of chocolate milk, stuck two slices of bread into the toaster, and pulled a pan out of the cabinet, setting it on the stove.

She stood and stared at the pan for several seconds before pulling her phone out and opening Google, realizing that she had no idea how to make an omelette.

* * *

_“Fire!”_

Chris jerked upright in bed just as Ashley came crashing through the bedroom door, green eyes wide and filled with panic, her hair still messy from sleep.

“Ash–?”

“Fire!” She screamed again. “Chris, you dip, get _up_! The kitchen is on fire!”

“What? Oh, Jesus…” Chris scrambled out of bed and stumbled out of the room in a hurry. He rushed to the kitchen and, sure enough, something on the stove had caught fire. He ran to the garage, grabbed the fire extinguisher off the wall, and ran back to the kitchen to put the fire out.

When the flames were completely extinguished, Ashley pouted at the disaster, whimpering a little. “My breakfast…”

Chris took a deep breath. “Whew…” He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and turned to Ashley with a concerned expression. “Ash, what the hell happened? Are you okay?”

Ashley sighed and looked down, her voice quiet and embarrassed. “I was…I was trying to make you breakfast in bed. For your birthday.”

He blinked, staring at her for several seconds as he thought about what she said. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her on the forehead. “Ash… That’s really sweet of you. Thank you.”

“Yeah. Well…” Ashley turned her head and glared at the smoldering mess on the stove top. “Don’t be too grateful; I ruined everything.”

Chris laughed softly and took her chin between his fingers, raising her face so he could kiss her lips. “You could never ruin anything, Ash. At least you tried. And as far as I’m concerned, as long as I have you, my birthday will always be great. Hell, every day will always be a great day with you.”

Ashley blushed fiercely at his words. She smiled and leaned up to kiss him again. “Chris…”

“Besides,” Chris pulled away from her to walk over to the cabinets and pull out a box of Lucky Charms. He turned his head and winked at her. “I prefer cavities anyway.”

Ashley laughed and took his face in her hands to kiss him a third time. “Happy birthday, you dork. I love you.”

Chris’s cheeks warmed. “I love you, too.”


	4. Kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 1: A series of one-shots, starting where your OTP’s first kiss is messy and awkward and they are not quite sure how to do it right. Then their next kiss is better, perhaps holding hands comes more naturally to them and they start to learn each other and how their bodies work together. Then finally kissing doesn’t seem like such a big deal, they do it casually or heat things up a little even. Maybe end with their wedding kiss?
> 
> Prompt 2: Imagine your OTP trying to hold hands in public for the first time, only to get so embarrassed that the best they can do is link their pinkies.
> 
> Prompt 3: Imagine your OTP on their wedding day and after they make their vows and lean in to kiss, they accidentally bump noses. (all via otpprompts.tumblr.com)

Chris and Ashley were sitting on Ashley’s couch, watching a movie. They’d just gotten back from a dinner date awhile earlier and both were extremely nervous; it was their first date and neither knew what to expect.

The dinner had been nice–they’d talked and joked, the food was good–but now it was getting somewhat awkward as neither knew how far things were supposed to go on the first date; neither one of them had done this before.

Ashley had invited him in to watch a movie and was now beginning to regret it. She couldn’t focus on the movie with all the turmoil going on in her mind: _What is Chris expecting? How far does **he** want things to go? Why didn’t I think this through?_

Little did Ashley know, Chris was worrying just as much as she was. _She invited me in; what does that mean? How far does she want to go? What am I supposed to? I didn’t bring any protection. Maybe I can use that as an excuse! She wouldn’t want to do anything without protection, right?_

Neither one of them wanted to move too fast and both were freaking out over the same things at the same time.

Finally, Chris decided to phone for help. He excused himself, asked where the bathroom was, then headed straight for it when she told him. He pulled out his phone, opened his contacts, and called the only person who could help him.

“Hello?”

“Josh! Josh, thank god. I need your help.”

“You alright, Cochise? What’s up?”

“Ashley and I were on a date and then we came to her house and she invited me in and I don’t have protection and–”

Josh interrupted him, “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down, Cochise; one thing at a time.”

Chris took a deep breath. “Sorry.”

“So you were on a date with Ashley…”

Chris told him everything, slower this time.

When he was done, Josh just laughed. “Dude, stop freaking out. It’s not a big deal. Knowing Ashley, she probably doesn’t want to rush things either. And yeah, lack of protection usually makes ‘em pause. But I don’t think you would need it anyway, because a kiss is probably as far as you’ll get tonight. It’s only your first date. You’ll be fine.”

Chris breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, man, I really–” His eyes widened. “A _kiss_?!” Chris threw out an arm and knocked over a bunch of bottles sitting on the bathroom counter. He muttered curses to himself as he struggled to set them all back up.

As Josh laughed in his ear, Ashley’s voice called out to him from the other side of the door. “Chris? Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. I’m great. Be out in a sec.” Chris called back. He waited until Ashley’s footsteps disappeared back down the hall before turning his attention back to Josh. “Bro, I don’t know if I can kiss her. I don’t how.”

Chris could almost hear the sound of Josh rolling his eyes. “You gotta buck up, bro; grow a pair.”

Chris scowled. “Very helpful, Josh.”

“I can’t teach you how to kiss.” There was a short pause, then Josh spoke again, his voice light and teasing, “At least, not over the phone.”

Chris wasn’t amused. “Very funny. Can you be serious?”

“Just relax, Cochise. It’s pretty hard to fuck up a kiss. Just get it over with; it should come naturally.” There was another pause, longer this time. “Listen, I gotta go. Good luck, Cochise! And hey, I demand details later.”

Chris started to speak, but Josh hung up before any words came out of his mouth. He sighed and dropped his phone back into his pocket before stepping out of the bathroom and returning to the living room.

Him and Ash went back to watching the movie in an awkward silence and when it was finally over, Ashley turned off the TV and the two just sat on the couch, unsure of what to do next. Chris turned to Ashley, “So… that was a pretty good movie, huh?”

“Uh… Yeah, totally. I liked it.”

“Me too.”

Another awkward silence stretched on for several minutes. Ashley was the one to break it this time, “So, what do you want to do now?”

Chris’s heart sped up. “Wh-what do you mean?”

“I mean… do you want to…” Ashley’s cheeks felt hotter with each word and she trailed off, too embarrassed to keep going.

Chris stuttered as he struggled to find words. “Ash, I don’t think we should… I mean, we can't… I don’t have protection!”

“Oh God.” Ashley covered her face.

After a few seconds, the two started to giggle. Their giggles soon turned into laughter, which quickly increased in volume; soon, they were both practically roaring with laughter, their stomachs hurting, eyes filling with tears.

“This is so ridiculous.” Chris said as they started to calm down. “Ash, in all honesty… I just don’t want to rush things with you. I really like you and…” He looked away from her, blushing. “I don’t want to ruin this.”

Ashley smiled shyly. “I feel the same way.”

Chris sighed in relief. “Thank God.”

The two moved suddenly and quickly at the same time to peck each other on the lips. Instead, they ended up hitting their foreheads together, startling them both, as well as giving them each a bit of a headache for the rest of the night.

Despite how embarrassed they felt, they managed to laugh it off, and end their date with a somewhat awkward kiss.

* * *

A couple of weeks later, they went window shopping as they walked around the city, trying to get ideas for Christmas gifts for their friends. The two walked closed together, their hands occasionally brushing against each other. Both of them made several attempts to reach out and take the other’s hand, but they always ended up withdrawing out of nervousness.

A few people who passed by would raise an eyebrow at their blushing faces and, for just a second, wonder why the young couple was so shy.

They finally decided to compromise by linking their pinkies, then continued their window shopping.

* * *

A few months later, the two were at the lodge with their friends, cuddled close on the couch, sneaking kisses here and there.

Their friends teased and poked fun at them; Matt would say, “Get a room, you two.”

Sam, “Aww, I think it’s sweet.”

Hannah would giggle and sing, “Chris and Ashley sittin’ in a tree…”

Compared to when they first started dating, kissing had become a lot more natural for them. They both felt more comfortable being public with their affection, as well–they now held hands wherever they went and would sneak as many kisses as they could throughout the day. And if they wanted some privacy, they would sneak off for awhile.

Chris ignored their friends, smiling as he gazed into Ashley’s eyes and murmured, “I love you.”

Ashley replied, just as softly, “I love you, too.”

Their friends cheered as the two kissed again.

* * *

A couple of years later, the two stood in front of each other at the altar. Josh stood next to Chris as his best man, while Sam had taken the spot as Ashley’s maiden of honor. Matt and Mike were groomsmen with Jess and Emily as bridesmaids; Beth had planned most of the wedding and Hannah had taken care of Ashley’s hair and make-up, as well as helped her pick out the perfect dress.

“Chris, you were my first kiss, the first guy I ever held hands with, my first love, my first…” She giggled, blushing slightly. “My first everything. And if I have it my way, you will be my last everything. Because there’s no one else I will ever love more than you.” Tears were forming in both of their eyes at her words. She struggled to keep her composure and get the last of her vows out, “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I promise that I will always be by your side no matter what.”

Chris took a deep breath and wiped a tear that had taken a stroll down his cheek. It was his turn. “Ashley, every moment that I’ve spent with you is the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do with my time. Falling in love with you was the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Proposing to you was the best decision I’ve ever made. All I want to do with my life now is spend it with you. I love you and I will never leave your side. For the rest of my life and whatever comes after, I am yours.”

After they were finished, they said “I do” and slid their wedding rings onto each other’s finger, and those little gold rings would represent their love and their marriage for the rest of their lives.

When it came time for the kiss, they leaned in, eyes closed.

And bumped their noses together. They leaned back, each reaching up to touch their nose in surprise. They stared at each other for a second, and then giggled, remembering their first kiss, when they bumped foreheads.

Then they tried again, pressing their lips together in a soft, sweet kiss that marked the starting point of the rest of their lives together.


	5. A Merry Engagement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Chris proposes to Ashley at an annual city Christmas tree lighting.

As Chris shrugged into his coat and checked his reflection in the mirror to make sure he looked okay, he felt his heart beat rapidly with nervousness and excitement.

Tonight was the night. It was finally time.

The ring suddenly felt very heavy in his pocket, like it had gained ten extra pounds, and he was starting to sweat a little; his nerves were really starting to get to him.

He shook his head a little, mentally told himself to stop freaking out. Worst that could happen: she says no.

That didn't help. Of course that was the worst that could happen! She could say no, he'd go home alone and heartbroken, and spend Christmas locked away in his house instead of at the Washington's annual Christmas party.

_Goddammit, Chris, stop it! Why would she say no?_

He searched his brain for possible reasons, but couldn't come up with one off of the top of his head. Why _would_ she say no? They'd been dating almost two years and she was very obviously in love with him. Even Chris himself could tell. And he was very obviously in love with her, too.

He switched his focus to the proposal itself. They were going to drive to the city and watch the big Christmas tree light up. As soon as it did, he was going to turn to his girlfriend, sink to one knee, pull the ring out of his pocket, and present it to her with a smile and a small speech of how much he loves her and wants to be with her for the rest of his life.

It sounded like a good idea, but Chris wasn't sure he could pull it off without messing it up.

When he had texted Josh and expressed his uncertainty a week earlier, Josh had sent him back the "Just do it" Shia Lebouf meme. Chris had responded:

>   
> **Chris:** Very helpful, Josh.

Josh had responded to that with a winking emoticon.

Now Chris pulled the ring out of his pocket and looked at it. It was beautiful--the diamond was sparkly, and not too big but also not too small. It was perfect; he couldn't wait to see how it would look on Ashley's finger.

That is, if she would say yes.

_She's going to say yes! Stop it._

Chris had spent the past few months working extra--as much as he could--to save up the money for the perfect ring. He'd had to sacrifice spending some time with Ashley so he could work for the money and, while she tried to hide it, she was clearly a little upset about it. Hopefully, he could make up for that lost time with the rest of his life.

As he slipped the ring back into his pocket, his phone began to vibrate and he pulled it out to look at the message.

>   
> **Ashley:** I'm ready. :) Are you almost here?

Chris texted back that he was on his way, grabbed his keys, and practically raced out the door, almost forgetting to lock it behind him.

* * *

Almost twenty minutes later, they stood below the giant Christmas tree, gazing up at it as they waited for the lights to come on. Despite the cold air around them, causing their breath to cloud the air, Chris was beginning to sweat again.

_Almost time. It's almost time._

He took a deep, shaky breath and looked down at Ashley. She was smiling patiently up at the tree, her eyes shining with anticipation. She felt his stare and turned her head to smile at him. She reached over and squeezed his hand. He smiled and squeezed back.

He felt like he might faint.

The countdown started. Everyone chanted the numbers together, but Chris couldn't hear them. All of his attention was on Ashley.

She just looked so...beautiful--there was no other word for it. The way her face just lit up when the countdown started and she joined in eagerly, her voice like music to Chris' ears. The way she had her hands clasped in front of her face, the way she raised herself up on her tippy toes in the excitement.

Then the tree's lights flashed on, the star on top shining the brightest. Some people cheered, including Ashley, who clapped and grinned, like a child who had just seen a magic trick for the first time.

All of the hesitation, the doubt, the nervousness inside him--all of it melted away as he watched her. The Christmas tree's lights reflecting in her eyes like stars, their glow lighting up her face with different colors.

Chris turned to Ashley and took both of her hands in his. He felt more confident in that moment than he ever had in his life.

He was in love with this girl. And when he looked into her eyes, he could see her love reflected back at him; she was in love with him, too.

_She'll say yes. She'll say yes._

A sliver of doubt slipped through at the last second.

_I hope she'll say yes._

Ashley smiled at him, but the look in her eyes was of slight puzzlement, wondering what he was doing. The look be was giving her…it made her heart do a backflip, in a good way, though she couldn't explain why.

She watched as Chris sank to one knee, her eyes widening slightly as she realized, her smile disappearing as her lips parted in surprise. He never took his eyes off of her and his smile never wavered. He pulled his hands away to take the ring box out of his pocket and open it, holding it out to her.

Passersby who had noticed what was going on stood by in surprise, watching the couple eagerly. There was something about a proposal that made even strangers feel warm inside, especially if the one receiving the proposal said yes.

Ashley covered her mouth her hands, muffling her voice. "Chris…?"

"Ashley," Chris paused to take a deep breath. "I'm in love with you. I had an instant crush on you the day we met and slowly fell in love with you over the course of our friendship. I couldn't believe it the day we started going out; I did, and still do, consider myself the luckiest guy on this Earth. And I was hoping…" Another pause, another deep breath. "…you would let me become the luckiest guy in the universe...by marrying me."

Tears brimmed in her eyes. All she could say was his name, "Chris…"

"Ashley, will you marry me?"

Everyone's eyes were on Ashley's face. The anticipation of that moment was almost overwhelming for everyone.

Several seconds passed as Ashley simply stood in shock, a couple of tears slipping down her cold cheeks. She sniffed, wiped them away with her hand, and then smiled down at her boyfriend.

No.

At her _fiancée._

"Yes…" She managed, her voice a bit choked with more of her tears. "Yes, of course I will, you dork."

Chris beamed widely and hurried to take the ring out of the box, almost dropping the ring in the process. Then he took her hand and slipped the ring onto her finger--the moment he had been waiting for.

The diamond ring looked perfect on her slender finger, like it had been made specifically for her. It was beautiful.

_She_ was beautiful.

As soon as Chris was back on his feet, Ashley flung her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest, letting out a joyous sob. Chris laughed a bit and pulled away, taking her face in one hand and wiping the tears off of her cheeks with the other.

As the people around them cheered and even clapped, the newly engaged couple shared a kiss in front of the glow of a giant Christmas tree.


End file.
